Wednesday, March 23, 2011

03/23/2011
One of the reasons survey outfits’ results are not quite taken seriously, and are many times disbelieved, is that certain claimed perceptions just don’t jibe.

Pulse Asia’s recent poll findings show that the trust and approval rating of Noynoy Aquino on a nationwide basis slid by a substantial five points, and by 12 percent in the National Capital Region (NCR). Overall, however, Noynoy still obtained a high 75 percent from 80 percent in October by way of trust ratings, while he fell from 79 percent in October to 74 percent in performance or approval rating.

The biggest Noynoy suffered was a 12 percent drop coming from the NCR, from 78 percent last October to 66 percent in March.

The Pulse Asia poll noted that public perception on six issues confronting the Aquino administration was not favorable as reflected in the latest survey. Public confidence fell on his administration’s performance on six key issues, including the equal enforcement of the law, creating more jobs and controlling the population growth, which showed huge declines from October last year..... MORE

03/23/2011
Incredible but true. We have a president who not only blatantly dips his entire hand into congressional moves, specifically the impeachment of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, but even goes public by lauding the congressmen who early yesterday morning, voted resoundingly to impeach her as “our heroes of today.”

His statement was followed up his mouthpiece, Edwin Lacierda, who said: “By doing so, the House has put an end to the long era of impunity that tarnished our institutions and made a mockery of the bedrock principle of accountability enshrined in our Constitution. This is the glory of democracy: where the law applies to all, where scrutiny exempts no one, and where accountability is for our institutions to exact.”

The problem with these pharisees in Malacañang is that even as they mouth all these “noble” statements of the principle of accountability, of the glory of democracy, of the law being applied to all, of transparency, of scrutiny exempting no one, is that they exempt themselves from all these..... MORE

03/23/2011
MORIOKA — Ten days after Japan’s tsunami disaster, towns far from the impact zone are still experiencing shortages that have thrown the neat, ordered lives of local residents completely out of gear.

Gas station queues stretching for several kilometers, long waits at supermarkets, empty store shelves and shuttered businesses have become a part of the landscape in post-tsunami Japan.

At the foot of the Mount Iwate volcano, the people of Morioka city — almost 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of the devastated coast — are still trying to adjust to the sudden absence of many things they had simply taken for granted.

At a gas station on the outskirts of the city, motorists waited hours on end before finally reaching the gas pump, clutching a 2,000 yen ($25, 17 euros) daily rationing coupon in their hands. The coupon is barely enough to buy a third of a tank on an average-sized city car..... MORE

03/23/2011
If you believe in surveys, the latest Pulse Asia “Ulat ng Bayan” survey issued for the quarter ending March 2011 says that despite the many challenges coming his way, a solid majority of respondents continue to have trust in P-Noy (75 percent) and appreciate what he has been doing thus far (74 percent). With 1,200 adult respondents polled from Feb. 24 to March 6, the survey showed that P-Noy’s approval rating was positive across geographical areas ranging from 66 percent in Metro Manila to 83 percent in the Visayas with only a 4 to 9 percent disapproval. On the other hand, his approval rating for socio-economic classes ranged from 69 percent in Classes ABC to 80 percent in Class E while his disapproval rating was between 5 to 8 percent. Pulse Asia also noted that almost one in five respondents (18 percent) remained undecided about P-Noy’s performance with the indecision most notable in Metro Manila (26 percent) and least in the Visayas (13 percent) with Mindanao registering 15 percent. Across income classes, the level of public ambivalence about his performance ranged from 26 percent in Classes ABC to 14 percent in Class E..... MORE

03/23/2011
SANTIAGO — The United States Monday sent mixed messages about its objectives in Libya, as President Barack Obama said Moamer Kadhafi must go, but vowed US forces would stick to a narrower UN mandate.

“Our military action is in support of an international mandate from the Security Council that specifically focuses on the humanitarian threat posed by Colonel Kadhafi to his people,” Obama told a press conference in Chile.

The missile and air strikes launched at the weekend were “in support of UN Security Resolution 1973, that specifically talks about humanitarian efforts, and we are going to make sure that we stick to that mandate,” he added.

But Obama stressed it was “US policy that Kadhafi needs to go” accusing the veteran leader who has ruled the north African country for more than four decades of murdering civilians as he tries to quell an opposition uprising..... MORE

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada must have known all along there ain’t anything substantial he could get from Erlinda Ligot and his brother Edgardo Yambao. And much less, or none at all, from Jacinto Ligot, the former military comptroller who probably would know than what Angelo Reyes had brought to his grave.

But while Estrada could not be forgiving, although he seemed passive at times for the duration of the Senate inquiry on the anomalous AFP transactions, his hands are shackled by a system that governs us all, including those who have done the country wrong.

Yet they could be forgetful, especially when pressed about the missing AFP millions, or the ownership of several properties a soldier’s salary could not afford.

03/23/2011
First it was Jose Pidal (who, in the course of investigation, was finally revealed to be then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s brother-in-law, Rep. Ignacio Arroyo, brother of then first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo).

Then it was former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante, who went through the same Q&A portion for the Fertilizer Fund Scam. One after the other, they popularized the now-infamous line, “I invoke my right to privacy.”

It appears that they had the same lawyer, Antonio Zulueta, who is now counseling another controversial couple.

The “Ligots” — who, for purposes of this column, shall be comprised of retired former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot, his wife Erlinda and brother-in-law Edgardo Yambao — are also invoking their right to privacy and against self-incrimination, faced as they are now with a barrage of questions at the Senate inquiry for alleged military corruption. Listening to them can make you want to throw things..... MORE

Personal calls from President Aquino to congressmen, allegedly offering the sweetener of an additional P20 million in congressional pork barrel in exchange for a yes vote, were all part of the presidential push to impeach Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez “resoundingly.”

These measures appeared to have done the trick, with an almost full House attendance, said to be comparable only to the congressional attendance during a President’s State of the Nation Address (Sona).

The additonal P20-million pork pledged is said to be taken from the budget savings which form part of the pork barrel funds of Aquino, congressional sources told the Tribune yesterday.

But the numbers in the plenary impeachment votes also didn’t add up, with some congressmen now questioning the accuracy of the vote count..... MORE

As senators await the formal transmittal of the articles of impeachment against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, debates on the rules that will government their trial proceedings kicked off yesterday.

Its adoption is seen to take place today, before Congress goes on a Lenten break or just in time when they resume sessions on May 9, simultaneous with its convening as an impeachment trial body to take up the Gutierrez case.

Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III yesterday proposed that a “gag order” of sorts be observed by his colleagues while trial proceedings are ongoing, which means that no interview with any member of the media or entity will be granted by any of the senator-judges.

Sotto’s proposal does not spare even the members of the prosecution panel, the person impeached as well as their respective counsels and witnesses..... MORE

03/23/2011
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had asked Libya to let four Filipino women working as maids for a relative of leader Moamer Kadhafi to leave for home amid Western-led air strikes.

The four last week rang their relatives back home to help get the government to negotiate their release from work contracts, DFA director for migrant workers affairs Enrico Fos said.

The DFA has sought assistance from Libya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to let the four maids identified as Diana Rivera, Racquel Dadang, Mary Ann Ducus and Zenaida Labugen to be evacuated along with other Filipinos. They work for Al Sahal Shariff, who is said to be Kadhafi’s nephew.

“The relatives called the DFA to alert it of their wish to leave, but their employer told them their help was needed at this time,” Fos told a news conference..... MORE

The Philippines was among countries that the United States cited as the global centers for the laundering of money coming from international narcotics trafficking in a recent report.

In its 2011 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the US State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs placed the Philippines in the “Jurisdictions of Primary Concern,” a roll of coun-tries said to be engaged in heavy narco-money laundering activities.

“The complex nature of money laundering transactions today makes it difficult in many cases to distinguish the proceeds of narcotics trafficking from the proceeds of other serious crime,” the State Department said.
However, it noted that financial institutions engaged in transactions that involve significant amounts of proceeds from other serious crimes, like the Philippines, “are vulnerable to narcotics-related money laundering.”.... MORE

03/23/2011
A Filipina and her 12-year-old daughter were among the thousands of people who perished in the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunamis that devastated Northeastern Japan on March 11, Depart-ment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

The Fukushima Iwaki Central Police Headquarters informed the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Morioka that the remains of Grace Agnes Oprecio-Hiruta, 45, and daughter Maria were identified by her husband, Masahiro Hiruta.

Police said the cause of their death is tsunami-related.

According to the DFA, the search and rescue team discovered the body of Mrs. Hiruta inside the vicinity of the house of a certain Mr. Suzuki on March 19 in Iwaki City, Fukushima..... MORE

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered preliminary investigations into charges against a brother of Maguindanao Gov. Esmail “Toto” Mangudadatu who was implicated in the ambush of Maguindanao Provincial Prosecutor Akilali Balt last week.

A panel of investigating fiscals was formed by De Lima, composed of Assistant State Prosecutor Vimar Barcellano and Prosecution lawyers Gerard Gaerlan and Mark Roland Estepa to determine probable cause in the complaint filed by Balt’s daughter Aminah.

The complaint alleged that Mayor Ibrahim Mangudadatu of Buluan was behind the attack.

Balt was on his way home aboard service vehicle with his driver Dandan Balt Datu Dakula when two men riding a motorcycle appeared on their side in a red light and suddenly opened fire at them. He sustained gunshot wounds in his lower right ear, lower right neck and right forearm and was still in comatose as of yesterday afternoon..... MORE

As part of the preparation for earthquakes and other eventualities, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. has asked building owners, particularly at the Central Business District, to follow strictly the building code and have occupants ready and familiarized themselves with all the emergency instructions in any eventuality.

This was the call made by young Binay when interviewed yesterday during the awarding of some 50 building owners in Makati who had complied with the 2011 fire safety compliance.

The mayor said they are making the necessary arrangements for preparedness and they are canceling a day to conduct earthquake drills and lectures but they were burdened by the preparation in the aftermath of the Japan experience.

But late last night Binay said they were working and making their own assessment to determine what would be the effect of an earthquake in Makati City..... MORE

Embattled former military comptroller Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot and his wife Erlinda who are facing a Senate inquiry into their alleged illegal wealth have been summoned to appear before the Department of Justice for the preliminary investigation into the P428-million tax evasion charges against them.

The Ligots were directed to appear before prosecutors on April 6 and April 13 by Assistant State Prosecutor Stewart Mariano who sent separate summonses to Ligot and his wife.

The case stemmed from the tax evasion charges filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue for eight counts of non-payment of tax and five counts of non-filing of income tax returns (ITRs) for taxable years 2001 to 2004. According to the BIR, Ligot failed to file his ITR in 2001 while his wife likewise ignored filing her ITRs in 2001 to 2004.

They also failed to declare their income in 2001 worth P41,854,181.57; P103,601,281.22 in 2002; P165,367,784.39 in 2003, and P184,995,700.14 in 2004..... MORE